You Will Be Sorry For Defying Me
by Myradream
Summary: Alternate Universe version of The Boxcar Children, focusing on Jessie, and a crime of opportunity. Sexual predators are timeless, and in this story, Jessie is the victim. There'l be Stockholm elements, non/con, forced prostitution, and possible drug use. This is another story in my "I will ruin your childhood" series. Don't read if you are going to be upset, please. 18 and up!


Jessie Alden sat on the edge of the dirty mattress, fretting over her little sister. She moved her hand once more to Violet's forehead and drew her hand back quickly. The fever was rising. Jessie rose, moving to the other side of the boxcar that had been the home of her and her siblings for the last 5 weeks.

She knelt next to the sleeping form of her youngest brother, and carefully pressed her palm to his forehead. Breathing a little sigh of relief, grateful for small favors. He had been ill too, but so far only with unusual exhaustion for a boy of his age, needing extra naps. Jessie had turned thirteen earlier that month, though over the last few weeks living in the boxcar and behaving more as a Mother, then a sister through the hardships she had faced, she felt far older then her years.

Between the confidence of her maturity, and the fear she felt for her little sister, she made a choice she had been fighting with all day long. Violet needed medicine. Henry, her older brother, had told her to stay with their siblings, but he would be home from his job chopping wood at a neighboring farm any time. Dusk was settling. Violet and Benny wouldn't be alone for long, and by the time Henry was back, and had enough time to be angry with her, she'd return, with medicine that would bring down their sisters dangerously high fever.

Digging through the little box of treasures they had found while searching for useful items in the dump, she found the broken pocket watch that Benny had found. The case was silver, and though the glass was shattered, she was certain she could make a trade for medicine. Securing it carefully in the pocket of the patched jacket she wore, and turning her attention to jotting out a quick note for Henry.

Henry -

Violet's fever is too high. I'm going to run down to the town, and trade the watch for some medicine. I'll be back soon.

Love,

Jessie

She signed it with her usual flourish, accomplishing it with a little difficulty due to having only the rejected nub of a pencil to work with, the paper the back of a receipt from the town grocer.

Leaving the note on Henry's pillow, she moved to give each of her younger siblings a kiss on their foreheads. One cool and balmy, the other burning her lips. Her frown grew, and she whispered a little prayer, before pushing the door of the box car open. Wincing at the squeak and making certain that it hadn't woken either of them, before hopping down to the ground. Sliding it gently closed behind her, and glancing up to the position of the sun as it bid adieu.

The night was unusually quiet, the chill in the air beginning to quiet the many insects and birds that had shared their symphony all summer long. She hurried through the main section of the dump, jumping when she heard a dog barking in the distance.

Something in her stomach clenched, and she froze, beginning to glance around, her eyes having trouble adjusting to the dark. A deeply unsettled feeling beginning to inch over her. Seeing nothing amiss, she continued past the gate of the dump, and down the dirt path that led to the main road to town.

Laughing off her concerns, she tightened her hand around the watch and quickened her steps. Doing her very best to ignore the squeezing against her feet. Despite lack of the best quality of food, she had grown, and the tightness of the leather of her shoes, and the snugness of the blue cotton of her dress reminded her of those changes. She snuggled the coat around her tighter, and paused as she heard a branch crunch behind her.

She turned quickly to see the source of the sound, and she froze when she realized she was no longer alone. A man, shrouded by shadow, but clearly as down on her luck as she was, by the filthy rags that covered most of him, and the unwashed desperation that clung to him stood not fifteen feet from her. She gave him a little nod, not saying a word, but turning and quickening her steps. Her heart beginning to pound.

It was his ragged breathing that alerted her that he was in pursuit, and she broke into a run. Counting her blessings when she lost him, but not stopping her run until she found herself just on the outskirts of town, bending, her hand clenched over her stomach as she tried to catch her breath and calm the burning in her muscles.

"You all right, little lady?"

She raised her eyes to see a handsome man, no older then twenty, walking in her direction, a look of concern on his chiseled features. He was tanned, and well dressed. A gentlemanly hat removed by him, as he approached carefully.

"Can I get you some help?"

None of the concern that had met her when the drifter had been as close vicinity met her. And she relaxed, giving him a little smile.

"Maybe. I have a watch to sell, and I need to get some medicine for my sister. " Her words a little breathy as she still struggled to catch her breath. "Do you know somewhere that would be able to help me with that?"

He laughed, nodding in response. "You just happened to come to the right person. My Father owns the antique shop in town. He's not there right now, left for home, and had me lock up. His hand reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring of keys, and shaking them with a musical jingle, before replacing them, and moving to offer a hand to her.

"Barrett Patterson. "

She gave him a grateful smile, relieved that she had found someone who was able to help her, taking his hand eagerly.

"Jessica Alden. Everyone calls me Jessie."

He smiled in response, giving her hand a little squeeze. "Jessica is a beautiful name. And you're a beautiful girl. How old are you?"

She wasn't sure what made her lie, but before she could prevent it, the fib fell out of her lips. "Sixteen. I'm sixteen."

He grinned in response and nodded. "Good. If you were younger, and this pretty, I'd be worried for mankind." He laughed and offered her his arm, and she took it, blushing a little, and letting him lead her down the street, winding her way through the dirt path that led to several houses. Barrett guided her to a large white washed house, a couple of the front windows were boarded up, but she thought nothing of it. Times were hard economically and wooden boards were significantly easier to come by then new panes of glass, when money was scarce.

He unlocked the door and held it open for her to step inside. He closed the door behind them, and moved to light the little oil lamp on the table near the entrance. Her eyes adjusted, and she reached into her pocket and handed over the watch, giving him a smile.

"I can trade this for some aspirin, can't I?"

He gazed down at the watch studying it carefully and nodded a little in response.

"This'll buy a lot of aspirin. It's real silver."

Jessie smiled triumphantly. "Thank Goodness. I hate to rush you, but I need to either get the aspirin or the money to go and buy some… "

He reached around and into the back of his pants, she assumed for his wallet, but she was sorely surprised when instead he pulled out a revolver, pointing it at her, a tell tale click of warning.

She stepped back in terror, raising her hands up as she backed away, eyes like saucers., He murmured lightly, his voice surprisingly calm.

"Now Jessie, no one has to get hurt. A pretty girl like you.. a handsome man like me? I think we'll become very good friends."

She paled, and all of her brothers veiled warnings of never being alone with a man rushed back to her, and the excitement of the attentions of the handsome stranger was ebbing away, with the last of her courage. She took a deep breath, and grabbing the lantern she swung it at him, letting it go after it made contact with his shoulder, the oil splashing, and unfortunately the flame extinguished in the moment, and they were shrouded in darkness as she tried to push her way to the door, hearing him crash to the ground behind her.

An inch from the handle, she was certain of her escape. She would run to the police station, and tell them what had happened, she'd get her watch back, and maybe the police officers would help her with her sister. The fear of being delivered into the hands of their cruel grandfather seeming sillier and sillier by the second, now that she had tasted true danger.

A hand snaked around her ankle and pulled her down to the ground, and she cried out as her hip received the brunt of the fall, slamming down into the dusty wood of the floor. She yelped, and tried to kick her self free, but in a moment he had climbed his way atop her body and pinned her to the ground, He was breathing heavily, blood on the side of his temple where she had hit him. He used his grip to lift her a little, smashing her cruelly against the floor.

She cried out at the pain of it, struggling to free herself, but to no avail. His eyes flashed and he straddled himself over her, struggling for breath from the scuttle. His voice having lost all of it's earlier friendliness and familiarity.

" You seem eager to be enemies, Jessica. And I thought we could be friends."

She blinked back tears of fear, as he pushed the skirt of her dress up, his finger tips pinching the flesh of her thigh until she cried out in pain, still struggling to cover herself, and get out of his reach. His strength pinned her easily, as his hand moved up her thigh, beginning it's own journey of discovery as tears spilled down her cheeks, as she yelped, pleading and begging him to stop.

Her words fell on deaf ears, and as she retreated into the shell of her soul, the last thing she remembered hearing was his promise.

"You will be sorry for defying me."

And on the floor of the house she had thought held safety and promise for the safety of her family, he made certain to follow through on his words.


End file.
